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Lewis, William (1820–1870)

It is our painful duty to chronicle the death, by drowning, of Mr. William Lewis, for many years a highly respected resident of this town and its vicinity. From what we have been able to ascertain relative to this sad occurrence, the unfortunate gentleman, in company with his eldest son, was bringing in a mob of cattle, which he had at the time paddocked at Green Swamp. Observing some damage done to the fence by the flood in Macdonald's Creek, and the attempts of the cattle to escape thereby, he persisted contrary to the solicitation of the bystanders, in crossing the creek for the purpose of securing them. It is said that he succeeded in crossing the creek safely, but when ascending the steep bank on the other side, he checked the horse by a pull on the rein; the animal reared up and fell over with his rider into the foaming water. Both went under, and were next seen in the middle of the stream. It is supposed that Mr Lewis was injured, from the fact, that although a powerful swimmer, besides being partially undressed, he made no effort to save himself, but drifted rapidly with the current in which he was occasionally submerged, at other times appearing with one arm raised as if in a convulsive effort to grasp at something which might arrest his career. Messrs. B. Naughton, Thompson, and several others endeavoured to save the unfortunate gentleman, but having followed the creek on both sides to its junction with the Cudgegong, they at length saw the body disappear beneath a heap of logs and rubbish below Jonas's house, after which he was not seen again. So far as we can learn the body has not yet been recovered.